Bangladesh are all but out of the T20 World Cup 2026 as the International Cricket Council (ICC) set a 24-hour deadline to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to confirm their participation in the marquee event scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka.
Cricbuzz reported that the government already decided Bangladesh's fate rather than asking from the captain or the players as since the new government came into power after the July movement that removed the Awami League, the BCB has largely followed the government’s line.
Notably, ICC is likely to replace Bangladesh with Scotland soon, after Bangladesh refused to travel to India due to security concerns.
BCB came with a plan before meeting
The BCB held a meeting between the players and sports advisor Asif Nazrul, but the meeting turned out to be a formality. According to players, they were not called to share their opinion or give approval. They were simply informed that the decision had already been taken and that Bangladesh would not be going to the World Cup.
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“The meeting wasn’t about taking our consent like people thought,” said a cricketer who did not want to be named. “We were called only to be told what had already been decided. They came into the meeting with a plan, and our views didn’t matter.”
Another player echoed the same feeling. “They didn’t ask us anything. Earlier, they would listen to us. This time, they just told us it’s not happening. The truth is, the government had already made the call. It was a direct order.”
After the meeting, Nazrul told reporters that Bangladesh would not change its position. He accused the ICC of failing to provide “proper justice” and said neither the ICC nor the Indian government had taken steps to address Bangladesh’s concerns. Bangladesh had earlier requested that their matches be moved from India to Sri Lanka, citing safety issues.
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Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto wants to participate
Several players were allowed to speak briefly during the meeting, and sources confirmed that most of them wanted to play in the World Cup. T20 captain Litton Das and Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto both made it clear that the team was ready to take part in the tournament. However, their words did not change the outcome.
“Cricket is finished,” said another cricketer in frustration. “If we don’t go, it’s our cricket that will suffer. Who else loses?”
Government and BCB officials later defended the decision by pointing to past threats made against Bangladeshi players. They also raised concerns about the safety of fans, journalists, and team members.
Players were also told that the BCCI had not contacted Bangladesh directly, with officials questioning how a team could be sent under such circumstances.
“Bangladesh is supposed to go,” one source said, “but if things are like this, how can any country send a team?”